Lost Loves
by reilert79
Summary: Chris and Mary Beth investigate a domestic violence case that isn't what it seems. Also, David is keeping a secret from Chris,and she lets him know that she isn't happy with that.


Lost Loves

***Chris and David's apartment***

It's a nasty, rainy, blah kind of day. Chris comes home from work, and despite her best efforts, using an umbrella and wearing a raincoat, She was still soaked to the bone.

She came in to the apartment, and locked the door behind her. She made a beeline for a hot shower. 25 minutes later, she emerged, fresh and clean and in her pajamas.

She texted David and asked him if pasta was ok for dinner, and told him to be careful going home.

"Working late tonight, babe. I will pick something up on the way home. Love you".

"Hopefully not too late. Love you".

She made herself some ravioli, and a salad. She decided to watch TV and eat in the den, since she was eating alone.

She turned on the TV and scrolled through the channels. She was excited to see the Democratic Presidential debates. She had always voted Republican, but with a woman possibly being president, she was leaning towards the Democrats this time.

Watching the debates made her think of Charlie. He loved politics, and he would be so proud that she was interested in the Democrats. Before she knew it the tears started flowing. She wiped her eyes, and continued eating.

She watched about an hour of the debate and then decided to turn the channel. She stayed up till the 11 o'clock news, and then went to bed. She hated nights like this when David wasn't home with her. It was still storming.

She cleaned up the kitchen, started the dishwasher, and then set the alarm and went to bed.

She didn't even notice when David came home after 12:30.

***The next morning***

Chris woke up at 6, and got up and went and did her workout. She headed for the shower afterwards, and when she got out of the shower, she woke up David.

She got dressed and got ready for the day, and then went to make them breakfast. She decided to make one of David's favorite breakfast meals- Cinnamon roll waffles.

She made the entire tube of cinnamon rolls when he came out to the kitchen.

"Morning, babe. Sorry I was so late last night".

"I survived. I just hate it when you work late'.

"Well I have to work late again tonight, but hopefully not too late".

"Want me to save dinner for you? I could eat a late lunch so we could eat dinner together".

"No thanks, I am going to a business dinner".

"A business dinner? Who are you eating with? You never go to those".

"Nobody really".

Chris was perturbed but didn't want to pry and didn't want to start a fight. So instead she made him a plate and handed it to him.

They ate breakfast, and then she and David did the dishes together and left them in the sink.

He walked with her to the car like he always did, and helped her put her stuff in the car, before kissing her goodbye.

"I love you more than anything, have a good day babe".

"I love you more than anything too. Hope to see you tonight".

2o minutes later, she was at work.

***Chris and Mary Beth's office***

Chris walked in and put her stuff down, and went to fill up her water bottle.

Mary Beth walked in a few minutes later, and they started updating their computer files on the cases they had solved or turned over.

A few minutes later, they received a case from a uniform, that was going to be a big one. It was a domestic violence case. Neighbors had reported hearing lots of fights and lots of screaming over the past few weeks. It often sounded like more people than the just the couple they had seen coming and going.

Chris and Mary Beth decided to go investigate first hand.

***Domestic Violence house***

Chris and Mary Beth arrived at the address indicated in the report. They first talked to the neighbors who had reported it.

After about an hour of questioning, they decided to go see for themselves. All of the neighbors had reported hearing screaming fights and most of it was a girl screaming "let me go" and a man screaming at her to "shut up".

One neighbor reported seeing a redhead in the backyard but only once. Another neighbor reported seeing a brunette in the window upstairs. However, the couple who owned the house were both blonde.

Chris pulled out her cellphone and texted David. "Lunch date, honey?"

"Already have one. Love you".

She felt a little hurt, and little like he was keeping things from her. She figured it would work itself out in time. She just had to get through it.

She and Mary Beth knocked on the door of the home where the incidents were heard.

A man came to the door.

"Hi, I am Detective Lacey, and this is Lieutenant Keeler. We would like to come in and ask you a few questions, if we may".

"Sure". He held the door open for them, and then as they sat down, he went and closed all the other doors to the living room, where they were.

"What is your name, sir?"

"Owen Thompkins".

"Are you the owner of the house?"

He nodded.

"Anyone else live here with you?"

"My wife, Stacey".

"Things ok between you and your wife, sir?"

He nodded. "Yes, they are. We are very happy. Um, what is this about?"

Chris spoke up. "Your neighbors have reported hearing lots of screaming, and yelling coming from the house at night".

"Well, we have a few spats, but what married couple doesn't?"

"Is your wife around, sir? We would like to speak to her, too".

"No, she is at work. I promise you everything is fine".

"Ok, well hopefully it will stay that way. However, next time you two love birds have a spat, try and keep it down, or else we will have to come back out here again, and have another fun conversation, just like this one".

Mary Beth and Chris headed for the door.

***Chris' car***

Chris and Mary Beth were driving back to the office.

There was construction work blocking a few roads, so Chris took a shortcut, one that would take her directly past David's office.

"Mary Beth, do you and Harvey ever need space from each other?"

"Like what do you mean?"

"Like so much space that one of you works late and doesn't include you in plans?"

"No, but we do things with other people without each other all the time. Like when Harvey has his bowling league, or I go to dinner with you after work, which we haven't done in forever. Things like that".

"Oh well we do that. That's ok. It's just last night David texted that he was working late, and didn't get home till after I had gone to bed at 11:30. Then he told me today he is working late again, and when I asked him if he wanted me to save dinner for him, he told me he had a dinner date. I asked him who with, and he said "nobody". So a little while ago I texted and asked if he wanted to grab lunch and have a lunch date, and he told me he already had one. I am trying real hard here not to feel left out in my own marriage".

Just then, she turned into the parking garage where David parked for work. She told the security guard that she was David's wife and he let her in. She drove up and down each lane, looking for David's Mercedes.

"What are you looking to accomplish here, Christine? He told you he couldn't have lunch. So you don't have lunch with him today. But finding his car isn't going to prove anything."

She stopped when she found his car. It was parked in the normal spot.

She sighed. "Maybe you are right, Mary Beth. Maybe it doesn't prove anything". She looked over off into the distance, where she saw David talking with a woman in a business suit and laughing. "But that does".

She drove off in a huff.

She dropped Mary Beth off at the office, and went to a noon meeting.

***AA Meeting***

Chris walked in and grabbed some water and went and sat down. It was a small meeting today, just a circle of about 12 people.

When it was her turn, she decided to share everything.

"My name is Christine, and I am an alcoholic". (Hi Christine).

"I am married, and my husband is great. We truly were made for each other. It's amazing that we dated years ago, broke up, and then got back together all these years later. Now we are married, and he is a partner in his law firm. Everything is great. I lost my sobriety last about a month ago, but I am starting over and I am committed to staying sober this time. However, the last few days, I am really starting to feel left out in my own marriage, if that's possible. He is working late, and having dinners without me, and I texted him earlier to see if he wanted to grab lunch today, and he told me he already had a lunch date. I know this seems so petty. However, we aren't usually like this. We usually can't keep our hands off each other, we want to spend all our time together and we usually grab lunch with each other whenever the other one asks. So I don't really know what to do about this. I guess that's all I wanted to share".

They clapped for her.

The meeting went on for about 20 more minutes and then it was over. She stood up afterwards, and folded up her chair and put it over off to the side.

A lady came up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"I just wanted to tell you that a few years back, my husband was working late all the time too. And I got upset and thought he was having an affair. However, what had really happened, was he was up for a promotion at work, and didn't tell me because if it didn't work out, he didn't want to disappoint me. He was working late, trying to make sure everything was in line in case he did get it and trying to prove himself. It was a hard week or so, but once he got it and told me everything we were back on track."

"Thank you. I hadn't thought of that".

She left and went back to the office.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris and Mary Beth worked till about 4:30, and then called it a day. She headed to the grocery store and picked up some of her favorite veggies and then went home. She changed into her comfy clothes, and then made herself a salad. She decided that if David wanted to work late and not spend his evenings with her, then she would just do whatever she wanted.

She ate her salad and watched the news, and then went and lit some candles in the bathroom. She ran a bubble bath, and turned the lights off. She added some relax bath salts, and decided to soak for a very long time. She had splurged the weekend before on a heat stick. It's basically a stick that you plug in, and then stick the end into the bathtub in the water, and it will keep the temperature of the bathwater to what you like. She decided to use it tonight, so she could soak a long time.

She climbed into the bath and placed the stick at the other end. She leaned back against her bath pillow, and grabbed the remote for her TV and turned on a movie. Next to spending time with David, Chris thought this was the best way to spend an evening.

After her movie was over, she got out and dried off and drained the tub. She changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. She read for about an hour, and then turned on the TV to watch the news for a little bit. She looked at the clock. 10:12. David still wasn't home.

'Dinner meeting my ass', she thought. She got up, went and locked the door, and set the alarm. She felt a bit sad as she got her own glass of water, as he usually did that for her. Then she went to bed. She was asleep within minutes.

David got home around 11, and went to change. He climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around Chris.

"Love you babe". He kissed her forehead and then fell asleep with her.

***The next morning***

Chris woke up, and went about her usual morning routine. She woke him up after she was done with the shower, and went and made breakfast. This morning it was egg white omelets.

She noticed as she went into the kitchen that he had left his cell phone on the island last night, next to his keys.

He took an extra-long time in the shower, and getting dressed. She had already finished her omelet when he came into the kitchen. She was putting the dishes in the dishwasher.

He had just taken a mouthful of his omelet when his phone rang. She grabbed it and answered it.

"Hello?"

A female voice responded. "Is David there?" The voice was all syrupy and sweet, and made Chris want to puke.

"Sure, one minute".

She handed him the phone, and looked at him pointedly.

"Your nobody is on the phone".

She grabbed her stuff and left, and went to work.

***Chris and Mary Beth's office***

Chris came in and put her stuff down. She had tried to shake this bad mood all the way to work, and it just wasn't working. She didn't understand what David's issue was.

Mary Beth came in, and Chris grumbled at her, and Mary Beth figured that things weren't going any better with David. She decided not to pry and just left it alone.

They went back and investigated their domestic violence case again.

The neighbors had reported more yelling.

This time Chris was determined to look around and not let them lock her and Mary Beth in the living room like last time.

***Thompkins residence***

Chris and Mary Beth talked to the neighbors and got their accounts of what they heard the night before. More of the same, but also longer this time.

Chris and Mary Beth headed next door to the Thompkins residence and knocked on the door.

They were let in again, by Stacey this time. She insisted that last night's argument was nothing and everything was fine.

"Well, ma'am this is the second time we have been here. So we might have bought that 'everything is fine' business last time, but this time, we are going to have to look around and make sure". Mary Beth was serious and the look on her face indicated that.

Chris walked past Stacey and started looking in other rooms. She came up empty in the kitchen, and two of the bedrooms on the main floor.

Mary Beth decided to go upstairs and look. She came back downstairs a few minutes later.

"Christine, there are 3 bedrooms upstairs. One looks like an office, and the other two are locked".

They both looked at Stacey. "We use those for storage, and we keep them locked so our kids don't go in there and drag everything out"

Chris looked at Stacey. "I am telling you right now, if we get any more complaints from your neighbors, we are coming out with a warrant and we are going to search every inch of this place and tear it apart until we find something. Your neighbors are worried about you, they are very concerned. Otherwise, why would they call the police every night when you and your husband start fighting? If you need us to help you get out of here, just say so and we will help you".

"No, I promise we are fine".

"Ok, have it your way lady". Chris and Mary Beth left the house and headed for the car.

They had driven down the block and headed back to the office when Chris looked at Mary Beth.

"You in the mood for a steak out tonight?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking".

***Chris and Mary Beth's office***

Chris and Mary Beth went in to the office. They were going to work a little bit, and then go to lunch together.

There was a note on her desk, that said "Babe-please call me. Love, David".

"Mary Beth, I will be right back". She grabbed her cell phone and went down to the conference room.

She closed the door and sat down. She called David.

"Hi babe".

"Hello", she said very coolly.

"I'm sorry babe. It's not what you think".

"Oh?"

"She is a partner here at the firm and she and I are working on a big project".

"If that's so, then why didn't you explain that the other night?"

"Because it's complicated. She wants me to make a career change, and we are trying to examine it from every angle".

"Really? You can't say 'hey, I am working on a new project, and it's with the senior partner'?"

David sighed. "I'm sorry, honey. I really am. Forgive me? I will make it up to you, I promise".

"I will think about it. I have to work now."

"See you tonight?"

"Mary Beth and I have a stakeout. Not sure when I will be home. Don't wait up".

She hung up and she and Mary Beth went to lunch.

***Later that night***

Mary Beth and Chris were staking out the Thompkins residence. They had alerted the neighbors that they were in the Ford Explorer parked a couple houses down, and to come get them if they heard something.

David was texting Chris.

"Wanna go away this weekend?"

"Not really. We have Miranda".

"Well, what if we go to dinner at your favorite restaurant then?"

"Maybe, I will think about it."

He could tell she was pretty upset. And when he looked at things from her side, she had every right to be. He hadn't included her in what was happening and he hadn't done that. But when she heard what the project was, he just knew she was going to be so happy.

Chris and Mary Beth were sitting there, chatting. Chris had her window cracked, in case they started screaming.

They sat there for about 20 minutes, and then Chris heard distinct screaming. It was a girl's voice, saying "Let me out of here" and "Get away from me".

They saw the neighbor coming towards them and they got out of the car. Chris called for uniform backup and had the special warrant that Feldberg had given her.

The uniforms got there and they went to the door.

Stacey opened the door and someone else was screaming "Help me!".

The uniforms got Stacey and Owen into the kitchen.

The screaming was coming from the upstairs. Mary Beth stayed downstairs and got their kids into a bedroom and put a uniform in there with them. She and Chris went up the stairs.

They busted the door in on the right side of the hallway.

Inside, they found a young girl, about 16 years old, chained to a hook on the wall. She was dirty, and crying, and she had a chain that ran from a cuff on her arm to the hook on the wall. Mary Beth found the keys hanging by the door on the inside.

Chris set about getting the chains off of her while Mary Beth asked her some questions.

"I am 16. I have been in here for about a week. I was kidnapped by the man, Owen. His wife comes in here and screams at me and smacks me and gives me food. My name is Lauryn. Lauryn Willoughby. Can I please call my mom?"

"Oh darling, you will be ok. We are going to get you out of here. We are the police and, we are here to help you".

She started to cry for real then, when she realized it was over.

She looked at them with a panicked look on her face. "Across the hall! It's not just me! Across the hall!'.

Chris found the key to the cuff and took it off her. She called for a uniform to come bag it as evidence.

She and Mary Beth went across the hall, and opened that door. In that room, they found another young woman, and she was laying on a mattress. She had a cuff around her ankle and her chain led to the radiator.

She stated that her name was Savannah Duncan. She was 15, and she had been there about 2 weeks.

"Owen did this. He did all of this, the kidnapping, the chaining us up, and all the nighttime stuff too".

"We will get your full statement at the hospital honey, just try to stay calm. We are going to get you out of here and get you checked out".

She nodded. She started to cry also.

Chris and Mary Beth called for an ambulance for each girl, and headed downstairs. Chris headed to the kitchen to formally arrest the Thompkins on kidnapping and imprisonment charges.

"Owen Thompkins, you have the right to remain silent. Anything that you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney and to have the attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?"

He nodded. He stood up and put his hands behind his back, calmly.

Stacey was crying and begging them to not do this.

"Stacey Thompkins, you have the right to remain silent…"

After Chris was done reading her her rights, she was also handcuffed. Before they led her away, Mary Beth asked her if there was someone she could call to come get the kids.

"Call my momma or my sister please. My phone is right there on the table and their numbers are in there. My sister is Rachel".

Mary Beth grabbed her phone and started with the grandmother. She agreed to take the children, and said she was on her way to come get them.

Chris ordered the uniforms to go put the Thompkins in separate cars, and then she wanted to continue searching the house.

She went down the hall and found nobody in the master bedroom, and nobody in the boy's bedroom. The bathroom was empty.

She went into the master bedroom to confiscate some more chains and padlocks in a box, when she heard a faint 'Help'.

She walked towards the wall where she heard it, and opened the closet door. Nothing. But she heard it again. She went to flip the light switch on, and instead the wall panel opened up and a secret room was revealed.

Inside that secret room was another girl.

***Secret room***

This young woman was 17, and she was pregnant.

"What is your name, miss?"

"Paige Elisabeth Morgan. I am 17, and I have been here about 4 months I think. Owen put me in here and won't let me out".

"Well we are the police. He has been arrested, along with his wife, and you are now safe".

She collapsed into tears.

"Can I go to a hospital… I think I am pregnant and I haven't seen a doctor".

"Did Owen do this to you?" she was dirty, covered in bruises and scratches, and she had a baby bump.

"yes, and Stacey too".

They got her chains off her, and she gathered up the clothes she had and they led her out of the secret room. Chris called for another set of uniforms, and another ambulance.

She and Mary Beth finished their investigation, and after Paige's ambulance pulled away, they headed home.

Chris sent a pair of uniforms to the hospital to stay with the girls, and Mary Beth notified the families that their daughters had been found safe.

Chris told each girl that she was going to contact them to get their statements in the coming days, and not to leave town until they gave her one. She wanted to nail Owen and Stacey now, more than ever.

Chris drove Mary Beth home, and then she headed home herself.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris walked in, and locked the door behind her. She grabbed a glass of water, and went and put it by her bedside.

She took a quick shower, put on her pj's and climbed into bed. She had actually expected David to be there when she got home. Silly her.

She fell asleep relatively easily, and David came in about an hour later. He changed out of his clothes quietly so as not to disturb her, and climbed into bed. He wrapped his arms around her, which woke her up. She didn't let on though. She pretended to be asleep, and then when she was sure that he was asleep, she eased out of his arms, eased out of bed, and went and slept on the couch.

***The next morning***

Chris woke up at 6, and did her workout. She went and showered and decided to not wake David up. Instead she went and made breakfast. She decided on some strawberry oats, and orange juice.

After she ate, she went and got ready and then woke David up.

While he was in the shower, she left for work.

***The hospital***

All of the girls that had been held by the Thompkins were still in the hospital, so Chris and Mary Beth went to the hospital to interview them.

They started with Lauryn. She told them she had been leaving her friend's house and stopped to get gas. AS she was pumping the gas, a hand came over her mouth and pulled her backwards and shoved her into a van. She fell asleep and then when she woke up, she was chained to the wall. She had been in there until Chris and Mary Beth found her. They had only fed her once a day, and she had used a bucket as a bathroom. She hadn't showered in days, and she slept on that dingy mattress each night.

"Lauryn, we have to ask you some questions now, and they are going to be somewhat difficult. But we need you to answer them, and tell the truth ok?"

She nodded.

"Did Owen rape you?"

She nodded. "Only once though, Stacey did the other times".

"Stacey raped you?"

"I guess that's what you would call it. She used a broom handle and slapped me around when I started screaming".

They finished taking her statement, and Chris wrote down her contact information. She assured Lauryn's parents that the Thompkins were being prosecuted for everything.

Chris went and took Paige's statement, while Mary Beth got Savannah's. Both girls described being abducted as they pumped gas, and waking up chained to a room. They both said Owen had raped them, and Stacey had put objects in them and beaten them when they screamed. Paige's nurse confirmed she was 3 months pregnant. Paige was the only one who had the most leeway. She had the longest chain, so she could actually walk around the room. Owen had taken lots of care to set her room up; she had a toilet in there, and a TV. She had the nicest mattress in the house, among the girls. She also had a mini fridge with lots of water bottles in it, and a ceiling fan.

Chris and Mary Beth headed back to the office then, and Chris went to talk to Feldberg.

"Owen and Stacey kidnapped the girls from gas stations, and they woke up chained to the rooms, to a hook on the wall. Owen would rape the girls, and presumably got one of the girls pregnant. Stacey sodomized each of the girls with broom handles, among other things. The conditions they were kept in were pretty horrible- they had to use buckets for a bathroom, and the oldest one was kept in a room off the master bedroom. You flip a switch in the closet to reveal a hidden wall that opens and there is her room. She had the nicest set up of the three- she had a real toilet and a ceiling fan, and a mini fridge with water stocked in it. That was probably because she was obviously pregnant and he rightly assumed he was the father. Anyways. She has been there 5 months, and the others had only been there about 4 weeks. All girls are willing to testify. 2 boys in the house, and Stacey's mom is now watching them. It was horrible, but I think the girls are going to be ok, with time, and counseling, and a little justice, like the Thompkins never getting out of prison."

Feldberg assured her he was asking for no bail for both of them. He was going to review the statements by the girls, and the statements made by the Thompkins to determine how many charges to hold them on.

Chris headed back to her office, and decided to go to a meeting for lunch.

Her meeting went well, and she went back to the office. She and Mary Beth worked till 4, and then called it a day.

She headed home, and assumed that she would be spending the evening alone again.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris pulled into the parking garage and saw that David wasn't home yet.

She went inside and changed into her pj's. She pulled the curtains tight, and shut the bedroom door. She climbed into bed and took a nap. Late afternoon naps were one of her favorite things. She slept till around 6:30, and then woke up. Still no David, so she got up and ate the rest of the salad in the fridge. She climbed back into bed, and fell back asleep. When she was stressed, sometimes sleep was the only thing that worked.

David got home at 9:45 and found her fast asleep in the bed. He grabbed her cell phone, and sent Feldberg a text that said "I am going to be late tomorrow, I have an appointment". Then he turned her ringer off, and unset her alarms. He was going to force Chris to stay there in the morning and talk to him.

***The next morning***

Chris woke up, and wondered why her alarm wasn't going off. She looked at the clock. It was 7:59.

"Shit!" She got up and got in the shower and took the fastest shower of her life. She had gotten out of bed so fast that she hadn't noticed that David was already awake.

She got dressed quickly, and then ran to the kitchen. She was gonna skip breakfast and just grab her lunch.

David grabbed her when she got to the fridge and tried to steer her towards the table.

"Let go of me, I have to go".

"I texted your boss and told him you would be late. It's ok".

"You did what?!"

"Can we just talk for a minute? I haven't seen you all week".

"Gee I wonder why!"

He led her over to the couch. They sat down and he grabbed her hand.

"My secret project is that the senior partner wants to back me and have me run for Congress for the state of New York".

"what?"

He nodded.

"Are you going to?"

"We are meeting with experts who determine what the likelihood is for a potential candidate. That's why we have been working so late."

"I did the politician wife thing with Jimmy, David, and that's part of why we got a divorce. I won't do it again".

"I understand. I won't do it if you don't want me to".

"If you want to do it, then do it. But I am not a politician's wife".

"I would need you by my side Chris".

"Well, sorry. That's not my scene, David. I was miserable when Jimmy would take me to the dinners and show me off like I was a prize from the state fair. That's just not me."

"Well, I married you and I promised you for better or for worse and our vows mean more to me than running for Congress. So, I will tell them today that I am dropping out. However, we are going to have to back the other candidate that my senior partner is backing, so will you go to a ball with me Saturday night? It's a fundraising ball. I figured we could ask Lisa and Bridgit to come watch Miranda".

She nodded.

"Are you disappointed?"

"No. I didn't really want it. I was just trying to please them, and I figured I would enjoy the ride, because I have no chance of winning".

"Do you have to work late tonight?"

He shook his head.

"Do you have to work at all today?"

"I can arrange to take off".

"Do it. I will text Feldberg. You and I need a husband and wife, day".

"I second that". He leaned over and kissed her, and they both texted their bosses.

"What are we going to do?"

They looked at each other and then said in unison "Back to bed".

He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. They both changed out of their clothes and climbed into bed.

They had make-up sex, which is the best kind. Then they fell asleep and slept till the mid-afternoon. They grabbed a bite to eat and spent some time in the hot tub.

Chris texted Bridgit then, and she said she and Lisa would be happy to watch Miranda.

Chris was so happy that she and David were connecting again. She hated it when they were snipey and spiteful with each other.

***Saturday afternoon***

Miranda was so excited that her cousins were coming over. She was watching TV on the couch in the living room when Chris went to go take a shower and get ready.

Chris had the perfect dress for the ball. It was a baby pink, with sequins. It was one-shoulder, A-line, and she had the most perfect silver shoes to match. She had bought a silver sequined clutch to carry for the evening. She straightened her hair and then flipped the edges and put on some silver jewelry that David had given her.

She walked out to the living room to find Miranda and Lisa and Bridgit all talking on the couch.

"Aunt Chris, you look hot!"

"Amazing dress Aunt Chris".

"Chrissy so pretty!".

"Thanks girls". She went over and hugged Bridgit and Lisa.

"I went and picked up a couple of pre-made pizzas and they are in the fridge. They have directions on them. I made you girls some California tea. David and I should be back by midnight. You girls are welcome to sleep over if you want to".

David came out in his tux.

"Looking good!". The girls were all in approval.

He went over to Chris and gave her a spin around, and a kiss, to show how much he loved her dress.

They headed to the ball, and couldn't wait to have a good evening.

***At the ball***

Chris and David arrived at the Met for their ball.

David introduced Chris to the senior partner, Renee Ashbury.

They chatted for a moment, and then the music started.

David looked at Chris.

"Care to dance?"

She nodded.

She and David danced all night, and they were once again the hit of the ball. David formally announced that he was not running for office, and that the firm was going to back the other candidate, Dustin Larkin.

Chris and David took a break long enough to eat when dinner was served. They went back to the dance floor and wowed the crowd once again.

Everyone raved over their dance skills, and how they effortlessly moved across the floor. It was a magical evening and Chris was so relieved that she and David had resolved their disagreement.

They stopped dancing long enough to grab some drinks. Chris got a club soda with lime and David got a beer.

"To us never fighting again. And no more midnight work dates".

"Cheers".

They clinked glasses, kissed and headed back to the dance floor.

The end ***


End file.
